Whiskey Island Coastal Project About to Begin

The restoration work on the Caillou Lake Headland barrier island, also known as Whiskey Island, is expected to begin within the next couple weeks, Houma Today reports.

This rebuilding is part of $627 million in Gulf Coast restoration money BP paid for the 2010 oil spill. From that, Louisiana received $318 million for outer coastal restoration projects, which led to the rebuilding of four barrier islands along the coast.

The construction on Whisky island itself will cost $103 million, according to Houma Today.

About 9.4 million cubic yards of sand will be dredged from Ship Shoal, an underwater sand body located in the Gulf of Mexico, and transported to the headland during the rebuilding process.

“It’s something we’ve started working on (about) five years ago and it’s finally coming to fruition,” said Terrebonne Parish President, Gordy Dove.

The president said that the groundbreaking ceremony is expected to take place sometime in June, and the construction should be completed in about 16 months.